U.S. patent application number 13/290723 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-09 for advertising offers using social networks.
This patent application is currently assigned to Google Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Michael Bachman. Invention is credited to Michael Bachman.
Application Number | 20130117097 13/290723 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48224352 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130117097 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bachman; Michael |
May 9, 2013 |
ADVERTISING OFFERS USING SOCIAL NETWORKS
Abstract
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media that may be used
to present advertisements to a first user based on the first user's
interactions with one or more other users are provided. One method
includes transmitting an electronic advertisement to a user
computing device. The electronic advertisement includes an
invitation for the user to receive a non-cash benefit in return for
allowing an advertiser associated with the electronic advertisement
access to one or more aspects of an account of the user on a social
network. The method further includes receiving an indication that
the user has accepted the invitation for the non-cash benefit,
performing an action on behalf of the advertiser relating to the
account of the user on the social network and providing a
confirmation message to the user indicating that the non-cash
benefit will be provided.
Inventors: |
Bachman; Michael;
(Sunnyvale, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Bachman; Michael |
Sunnyvale |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Google Inc.
|
Family ID: |
48224352 |
Appl. No.: |
13/290723 |
Filed: |
November 7, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.39 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0269 20130101;
G06Q 50/01 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14.39 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20120101
G06Q030/02 |
Claims
1. A method executing on one or more computing devices, the method
comprising: transmitting, using the one or more computing devices,
an electronic advertisement to a user computing device, wherein the
electronic advertisement includes an invitation for the user to
receive a non-cash benefit in return for allowing an advertiser
associated with the electronic advertisement to utilize one or more
aspects of an account of the user on a social network for the
benefit of the advertiser, wherein the social network comprises a
service on which the user can post messages, and wherein the social
network comprises accounts for each of one or more co-users and the
user's account is connected to the accounts of the one or more
co-users of the social network; receiving, using the one or more
computing devices, an indication that the user has accepted the
invitation for the non-cash benefit; in response to receiving the
indication, performing one or more actions on behalf of the
advertiser relating to the account of the user on the social
network, wherein the one or more actions comprise causing a message
to be posted on a web page of the account of the user on the social
network, the message being related to at least one of the
advertisement or the advertiser; determining, using the one or more
computing devices, a value for the non-cash benefit based on at
least one of: a number of co-users who repost the message on web
pages of their accounts on the social network, or a number of
co-users who provide an indication of approval of the message using
their accounts on the social network, wherein the indication of
approval can be viewed by other co-users of the social; and in
response to receiving the indication, providing a confirmation
message to the user indicating that the non-cash benefit will be
provided.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-cash benefit comprises a
discount on a product or service provided by the advertiser.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-cash benefit comprises
access to at least one of a product, service, or information to
which the user did not previously have access.
4. (canceled)
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving data
relating to the interaction of one or more co-users of the social
network with the posted message; and storing data based on the
received data in a memory and providing the advertiser with access
to the stored data.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the non-cash benefit is based at
least in part on the data relating to the interaction of one or
more co-users of the social network with the posted message.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the one or more
actions on behalf of the advertiser comprises storing data relating
to the social network of the user in a memory and providing the
advertiser with access to the data.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data comprises a list of the
co-users with which the user is connected in the social
network.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the data comprises profile
information associated with the user on the social network.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the non-cash benefit is based at
least in part on the data relating to the account of the user on
the social network.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the non-cash benefit is based
at least in part on a number of co-users with which the user is
connected through the social network.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirmation message
includes information used to access the non-cash benefit.
13. An apparatus comprising: at least one computing device operably
coupled to at least one memory and configured to: transmit an
electronic advertisement to a user computing device, wherein the
electronic advertisement includes an invitation for the user to
receive a non-cash benefit in return for allowing an advertiser
associated with the electronic advertisement to utilize one or more
aspects of an account of the user on a social network for the
benefit of the advertiser, wherein the social network comprises a
service on which the user can post messages, and wherein the social
network comprises accounts for each of one or more co-users and the
user's account is connected to the accounts of the one or more
co-users of the social network; receive an indication that the user
has accepted the invitation for the non-cash benefit; in response
to receiving the indication, perform one or more actions on behalf
of the advertiser relating to the account of the user on the social
network, wherein the one or more actions comprise causing a message
to be posted on a web page of the account of the user on the social
network, the message being related to at least one of the
advertisement or the advertiser; determine, using the one or more
computing devices, a value for the non-cash benefit based on at
least one of: a number of co-users who repost the message on web
pages of their accounts on the social network, or a number of
co-users who provide an indication of approval of the message using
their accounts on the social network, wherein the indication of
approval can be viewed by other co-users of the social; and in
response to receiving the indication, transmit data to the user
that is configured to provide the user with access to the non-cash
benefit.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the non-cash benefit
comprises a discount on a product or service provided by the
advertiser.
15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the non-cash benefit
comprises access to at least one of a product, service, or
information to which the user did not previously have access.
16. (canceled)
17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one computing
device is configured to: receive data relating to the interaction
of one or more co-users of the social network with the posted
message; and store data based on the received data in the at least
one memory and provide the advertiser with access to the stored
data.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the non-cash benefit is
based at least in part on the data relating to the interaction of
one or more co-users of the social network with the posted
message.
19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one computing
device is configured to perform at least one of the one or more
actions on behalf of the advertiser by storing data relating to the
social network of the user in the at least one memory and providing
the advertiser with access to the data.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the data comprises a list of
the co-users with which the user is connected in the social
network.
21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the data comprises profile
information associated with the user on the social network.
22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the non-cash benefit is
based at least in part on the data relating to the account of the
user on the social network.
23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the non-cash benefit is
based at least in part on a number of co-users with which the user
is connected through the social network.
24. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon
that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform
operations comprising: transmitting an electronic advertisement to
a user computing device, wherein the electronic advertisement
includes an invitation for the user to receive a non-cash benefit
in return for allowing an advertiser associated with the electronic
advertisement to utilize one or more aspects of an account of the
user on a social network for the benefit of the advertiser, wherein
the social network comprises a service on which the user can post
messages, and wherein the social network comprises accounts for
each of one or more co-users and the user's account is connected to
the accounts of the one or more co-users of the social network;
receiving an indication that the user has accepted the invitation
for the non-cash benefit; in response to receiving the indication,
performing one or more actions on behalf of the advertiser relating
to the account of the user on the social network, wherein the one
or more actions comprise causing a message to be posted on a web
page of the account of the user on the social network, the message
being related to at least one of the advertisement or the
advertiser; determining, using the one or more computing devices, a
value for the non-cash benefit based on at least one of a number of
co-users who repost the message on web pages of their accounts on
the social network and a number of co-users who provide an
indication of approval of the message using their accounts on the
social network, wherein the indication of approval can be viewed by
other co-users of the social network; and in response to receiving
the indication, transmitting data to the user that is configured to
provide the user with access to the non-cash benefit.
25. (canceled)
26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising:
receiving data relating to the interaction of one or more co-users
of the social network with the posted message; and storing data
based on the received data in a memory and providing the advertiser
with access to the stored data.
27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the non-cash
benefit is based at least in part on the data relating to the
interaction of one or more co-users of the social network with the
posted message.
28. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-cash benefit comprises a
discount relating to at least one of the advertiser or a product or
service associated with the advertisement, and wherein the value of
the discount provided to the user increases as a number of co-users
with whom the user is connected through the social network
increases.
29. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-cash benefit comprises a
discount relating to at least one of the advertiser or a product or
service associated with the advertisement, and wherein the value of
the discount provided to the user increases as a number of co-users
who interact with the posted message increases.
30. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the
electronic advertisement to at least one of co-users who repost the
message and co-users who provide the indication of approval of the
message, wherein the electronic advertisement includes an
invitation for the at least one of co-users who repost the message
and co-users who provide the indication of approval of the message
to receive the non-cash benefit in return for allowing the
advertiser to utilize one or more aspects of accounts of the at
least one of co-users who repost the message and co-users who
provide the indication of approval of the message on a social
network for the benefit of the advertiser.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The Internet provides access to a wide variety of content.
Advertisements can be provided along with requested content.
Advertisements can be targeted to viewers of content. For instance,
ads can be selected based upon a user's search terms entered into a
search engine. Such targeting helps provide relevant advertisements
to users. Providing relevant advertisements to users typically
provides an increase in click through rates and better exposure for
an advertiser. Typical electronic advertisements are directed to
one-to-one engagement between the user and the advertiser without
any implications relating to contacts that the user may have with
other users.
SUMMARY
[0002] One implementation of the disclosure relates to a method
executing on one or more computing devices. The method includes
transmitting, using the one or more computing devices, an
electronic advertisement to a user computing device. The electronic
advertisement includes an invitation for the user to receive a
non-cash benefit in return for allowing an advertiser associated
with the electronic advertisement to utilize one or more aspects of
an account of the user on a social network for the benefit of the
advertiser. The social network includes a service on which the user
can post messages. The social network includes accounts for each of
one or more co-users, and the user's account is connected to the
accounts of the one or more co-users of the social network. The
method further includes receiving, using the one or more computing
devices, an indication that the user has accepted the invitation
for the non-cash benefit. The method further includes, in response
to receiving the indication, performing an action on behalf of the
advertiser relating to the account of the user on the social
network and providing a confirmation message to the user indicating
that the non-cash benefit will be provided.
[0003] Another implementation of the disclosure relates to an
apparatus comprising at least one computing device operably coupled
to at least one memory and configured to transmit an electronic
advertisement to a user computing device. The electronic
advertisement includes an invitation for the user to receive a
non-cash benefit in return for allowing an advertiser associated
with the electronic advertisement to utilize one or more aspects of
an account of the user on a social network for the benefit of the
advertiser. The social network includes a service on which the user
can post messages. The social network includes accounts for each of
one or more co-users and the user's account is connected to the
accounts of the one or more co-users of the social network. The at
least one computing device is further configured to receive an
indication that the user has accepted the invitation for the
non-cash benefit. The at least one computing device is further
configured to, in response to receiving the indication, perform an
action on behalf of the advertiser relating to the account of the
user on the social network and transmit data to the user computing
device that is configured to provide the user with access to the
non-cash benefit.
[0004] Yet another implementation of the disclosure relates to a
computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that,
when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform
operations including transmitting an electronic advertisement to a
user computing device. The electronic advertisement includes an
invitation for the user to receive a non-cash benefit in return for
allowing an advertiser associated with the electronic advertisement
to utilize one or more aspects of an account of the user on a
social network for the benefit of the advertiser. The social
network includes a service on which the user can post messages. The
social network includes accounts for each of one or more co-users,
and the user's account is connected to the accounts of the one or
more co-users of the social network. The operations further include
receiving an indication that the user has accepted the invitation
for the non-cash benefit. The operations further include, in
response to receiving the indication, performing an action on
behalf of the advertiser relating to the account of the user on the
social network and transmitting data to the user computing device
that is configured to provide the user with access to the non-cash
benefit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The details of one or more implementations of the subject
matter described in this specification are set forth in the
accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features,
aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent
from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
[0006] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example environment in which
advertisements may be provided to users according to an
illustrative implementation.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a data flow diagram illustrating data flow through
a system configured to provide social network-based advertising
offers to users according to an illustrative implementation.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a process for providing social
network-based advertising offers to users according to an
illustrative implementation.
[0009] FIGS. 4 through 6 are example advertisement display images
that may be displayed to a user in association with providing a
social network-based advertising offer to the user according to
illustrative implementations.
[0010] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a process for performing an
action on behalf of an advertiser where the action includes
transmitting data configured to cause a message to be posted on an
account of a user on a social network according to an illustrative
implementation.
[0011] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a computing system according to
an illustrative implementation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Overview
[0012] Referring generally to the Figures, various illustrative
systems and methods are provided that may be used to leverage
users' social networks by providing users with a benefit, such as a
coupon, in exchange for access to their social networks. Typical
online ads are mainly focused around users downloading
applications, visiting advertiser sites, Click-to-Call, expanding a
map for directions, etc. Such interactions are purely on a 1:1
engagement between the user and the advertiser without any social
implications. In some embodiments, the user can opt out of
receiving any such advertisements or offers. Users may also opt out
of receiving advertisements from such referral systems. In some
embodiments, the users have to opt into receiving such
advertisements in order for the advertiser to receive their
information via referrals.
[0013] The present disclosure describes various methods and
features for generating advertisements that offer a benefit to
users (e.g., a non-cash benefit, such as an exclusive coupon) in
exchange for allowing advertisers to gain access to certain aspects
of the users' accounts on social networks. The advertisers may use
the advertising system to set up an ad for display to users. The ad
may present an option to the users to share the ad (or another ad
associated with the advertiser) via a social network, such as
Google+. If the user opts to share the ad using the user's social
network (e.g., by clicking a Google+, g+, +1, Like, etc. symbol in
the ad), the ad may be altered (e.g., by changing the ad displayed
in the window, by expanding the displayed information, by popping
up a new window, by sending the user to a new webpage, etc.) to
provide the user with access to the benefit.
[0014] In some implementations, by consenting to sharing his social
network, a user may give the advertiser access to a list of the
user's contacts on the social network. In some implementations, a
user may consent to posting a message on the user's social network
account relating to the advertisement and/or advertiser. In some
such embodiments, other co-users that subsequently interact with
the post (e.g., in Google+, by clicking +1 on the post or
re-sharing the post) on the user's social network profile (e.g., on
the user's Google+ stream) may be added to a list of people
interested in the ad that is made accessible to the advertiser.
Some implementations may make the benefit provided to the initial
user based on parameters of the social network. For example, the
user may receive a greater benefit if the user has a large number
of contacts/friends on the social network than if the user has a
smaller number of contacts, or the benefit provided may be variable
based on the number of contacts who subsequently interact with the
user's post.
[0015] Various illustrative implementations of advertisement
systems may provide various benefits to advertisers and/or users.
For example, offers (e.g., presented via Google Offers) may be
seamlessly integrated with other advertising content. Information
regarding social network users who may be interested in particular
types of advertising content can be obtained based on the users
interacting with the advertising content on the social network. For
example, information regarding users who share, re-share, "+1",
etc. advertisement-related posts and/or messages may be collected
and used to develop user lists to whom later advertisement
campaigns may be directed. Billing may be provided on a
call-to-action basis (e.g., based on users' interactions with the
advertising content) as opposed to, for example, billing based on
the number of impressions or click-throughs for an
advertisement.
[0016] Various terms utilized in the present disclosure are
intended to be given their plain and ordinary meanings unless
otherwise indicated. For example, the phrase social network, as
used herein, encompasses its plain and ordinary meaning, including,
but not limited to, any service (e.g., online messaging service)
through which users can interact with one another, for example, by
posting messages and/or other information that may be viewed by one
or more other users of the service. The phrase co-users, as used
herein, encompasses its plain and ordinary meaning, including, but
not limited to, individuals who use a social network to interact
with a user of the social network. The phrase electronic
advertisement, as used herein, encompasses its plain and ordinary
meaning, including, but not limited to, content displayed to a user
on a computing device of a user that is provided to the user in an
electronic format (e.g., using a computing or other communication
network).
Illustrative Advertising System Environment
[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, a block diagram of an example
environment 100 in which advertisements may be provided to users is
shown according to an illustrative implementation. One or more user
devices 104 may be used by a user to access various types of
content, some of which may be provided over a network 102 (e.g.,
the Internet, LAN, WAN, etc.). For example, user devices 104 may be
used to access websites (e.g., using an internet browser such as
Google Chrome), media files, and/or any other types of content. In
some instances, the content may include and/or be accompanied by
advertising content. Some such advertising content may be
interactive, such that a user may click on or otherwise interact
with the advertisement to perform an action, such as visiting a
website of the advertiser, downloading an application, calling a
phone number, opening an application on the user device 104 of the
user, expanding or opening a map of a location, opening a
navigation application to navigate to a location, etc.
[0018] User device 104 may be any type of computing device (e.g.,
having one or more processors and/or memories or other types of
computer-readable media), such as a television and/or set-top box
with one or more processors embedded therein or coupled thereto,
mobile communication device (e.g., cellular telephone, smartphone,
etc.), computer and/or media device (desktop computer, laptop or
notebook computer, netbook computer, tablet device, gaming system,
etc.), or any other type of computing device. In some
implementations, one or more user devices 104 may be set-top boxes
or other devices for use with a television set, such as a Google TV
device. In some implementations, content may be provided via a
web-based application and/or an application resident on a user
device 104. In some implementations, user devices 104 may be
designed to use various types of software and/or operating systems,
such as the Google Android operating system. In various
illustrative implementations, user devices 104 may be equipped with
and/or associated with one or more user input devices (e.g.,
keyboard, mouse, remote control, touchscreen, etc.) and/or one or
more display devices (e.g., television, monitor, CRT, plasma, LCD,
LED, touchscreen, etc.).
[0019] User devices 104 may be configured to receive data and/or
programming from various sources using a network 102. In some
implementations, network 102 may comprise a computing network
(e.g., LAN, WAN, Internet, etc.) to which user devices 104 may be
connected via any type of network connection (e.g., wired, such as
Ethernet, phone line, power line, etc., or wireless, such as WiFi,
WiMAX, 3G, 4G, satellite, etc.). In some implementations, network
102 may additionally or alternatively comprise a media distribution
network, such as cable (e.g., coaxial metal cable), satellite,
fiber optic, etc., configured to distribute media programming
and/or data content.
[0020] In various illustrative implementations, an advertisement
system 108 may be configured to determine advertisements to provide
to various user devices 104 under various circumstances and/or
based on various parameters. Advertisement system 108 may be
configured to determine the advertisements to provide to users
based on advertiser input provided using one or more advertiser
devices 112. Advertisers may provide advertising content, such as
the actual advertisements that are to be displayed, and/or
parameters used to determine when certain advertisements are
displayed (e.g., characteristics of users to whom the
advertisements are displayed, characteristics of types of websites
and/or surrounding content on a webpage on which the advertisements
are displayed, etc.). Advertisement system 108 may be configured to
store ad content and/or parameters in an ads database 110.
[0021] In some implementations, advertisements may be provided that
are primarily based on a 1:1 engagement between the advertiser and
the user. For example, as user may navigate to a particular website
and be presented with an advertisement (e.g., call-to-action
display advertisement, text advertisement, video advertisement,
etc.) that may be configured to perform an action in response to
the user interacting with the advertisement (e.g., clicking,
hovering a mouse pointer, etc.). The action may include, for
example, visiting a website of the advertiser, downloading an
application, calling a phone number, opening an application on the
user device 104 of the user, expanding or opening a map of a
location, opening a navigation application to navigate to a
location, etc.
[0022] In some implementations, a social context may be added
within an advertisement. For example, a button or other input field
may be added to an advertisement that is linked to an account of a
user on a social network 106. Social networks 106 may include any
type of messaging services configured to allow users to post
messages (e.g., textual, picture, video, links to web addresses
and/or media posted on the Internet, etc.) and may include, for
example, Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Buzz,
Orkut, Bebo, etc. Users may be identified on social networks 106 by
legal name and/or by a username (e.g., unique from other users of
the respective social network 106) or other user identifier such as
a profile photograph. In some implementations, all messages posted
on a social network 106 may be publicly accessible. In other
implementations, some or all of the messages posted on a social
network 106 may be limited in their publicity or distribution
(e.g., private, semi-private), such that only particular types of
groups (e.g., friends, co-workers, acquaintances, schoolmates,
etc.), particular identified users, etc. can access particular
messages or groups of messages. In some implementations, users may
provide credentials (e.g., a username or email address and a
password) via user device 104 used to authenticate the user and
provide user device 104 with access to content (e.g., messages)
that may not be publicly accessible but may be accessible by the
user.
[0023] In some implementations, by clicking a button or other input
field linked to the user's account on a social network 106, the
user may perform an action with respect to the user's account. For
example, a user may click a "+1" icon linked to the user's account
on Google+, and the advertisement may be shared with other co-users
or contacts of the user on Google+. In some implementations,
clicking on the advertisement may lead to a separate advertiser
landing page. In some such implementations, it may be difficult to
return to the advertisement to interact with the social component
of the advertisement after reaching the landing page, particularly
if the previous page is reloaded, because advertisements are often
changed after the page is reloaded (unless, for example, the
advertisement is based on a particular day-part reservation, where
the advertisement will continue to appear to all visitors of the
page for a reserved portion of a day).
[0024] Social networks 106 may be sources of very useful
information and/or exposure for advertisers. For example, an
advertiser may be able to present a user with more relevant or
interesting advertisements if the advertiser is able to obtain
interest data, demographic data, and/or other information about the
user that may be stored and/or posted as part of the user's account
on one or more social networks 106. Additionally, social networks
106 may provide tools for connecting with other co-users, such as
friends or contacts, with whom the user interacts on the social
networks 106. For example, users may post information and/or
messages on social networks 106 that may be viewed by other
co-users. In this manner, the advertiser may reach a wide variety
of other users through the user's account on the social network
106, some of whom may share common interests with the user and may
be likely to show interest in the advertisement. In some
implementations, advertisers may be able to use information about
other co-users' interactions with an advertisement-related post of
the user on a social network 106 to determine appropriate
advertisements that may be presented to the other co-users.
[0025] Advertisement system 108 may be configured to enable
advertisers leverage one or more aspects of a user's account(s) on
one or more social networks 106 in exchange for providing the user
with a benefit (e.g., a non-cash benefit). For example, in some
implementations, an advertiser may use advertisement system 108
(e.g., via an advertiser device 112) to set up a new interactive
advertisement through which the advertiser is offering the user a
coupon for forty percent off of a particular product in exchange
for the user sharing an advertisement relating to the advertiser
and/or product though a message on the user's account on a social
network 106. In some implementations, the message may include a
link to the same social network-based advertising deal offered to
the user. Once the user has taken the steps necessary to post of
the message on the user's social network account, the user may be
provided with access to the coupon (e.g., by a new display image
being presented to the user with a printable coupon or coupon code,
by an email being sent to the user's email address, etc.).
[0026] In various illustrative implementations, the benefits
offered to users may be any or all of a variety of different types
of benefits. For example, users may be offered discounts on
products or services provided by the advertiser or another entity.
In another example, users may be offered access to exclusive
products, services, and/or information to which the users did not
previously have access. In some implementations, users may be
enabled to download applications, media files, and/or other content
in exchange for allowing access to aspects of their user accounts.
In another example, users may be credited with points in a rewards
program offered by the advertiser (e.g., that may be redeemed for
goods/services once enough points are accumulated). In another
example, a user may be provided with a cash benefit, such as by a
transfer of money into an account of the user, a check sent to a
mailing address of the user, etc.
[0027] In various illustrative implementations, advertisers may use
advertisement system 108 to generate advertisements configured to
provide access to a variety of aspects of users' accounts on social
networks 106. For example, in one implementation, a user may
consent to sharing with the advertiser information posted on the
user's account on a social network in exchange for receiving a
benefit. Such information may include, for example, profile
information (e.g., employment information, education information,
marital status information, birth date, interests such as music,
books, movies, television shows, etc., activities, contact
information such as email and/or physical address and/or geographic
location, etc.), lists or friends or contacts on the social
network, messages posted by the user and/or co-users in relation to
the user's account on the social network, etc. This information may
be stored in a database by advertisement system 108 and made
accessible to the advertiser.
[0028] In some illustrative implementations, a user may post a
message (e.g., including advertising content) relating to the
advertiser and/or product/service being promoted on the social
network in exchange for receiving a benefit. For example, an
advertisement may be configured to present the user with an
interface that provides an offer to the user to receive a benefit
in exchange for sharing the advertisement on a social network. The
advertisement may be configured to provide an interface that the
user may use to provide input needed to post the message on the
user's social network account (e.g., on a "Stream" or user profile
on Google+). In some implementations, the user may already be
logged into the account on the social network, and the
advertisement may be configured to determine that the user has
already been logged in and post the message in response to the user
providing input indicating consent of the user to post the message
(e.g., by clicking a "Share" button). In some implementations, the
advertisement may be configured to forward the user to a login
interface for the social network before the user is provided with
the consent interface.
[0029] In some illustrative implementations, advertisement system
108 may be configured to receive and/or collect information
relating to users that interact with a posted message relating to
an advertisement. For example, advertisement system 108 may be
configured to receive a list of other co-users who have indicated
approval in relation to the message (e.g., by clicking "+1" with
respect to the message on Google+). In another example,
advertisement system 108 may be configured to receive a list of
co-users who have re-posted or shared the message using their own
user accounts on the social network. In some implementations, some
or all of the co-users who have interacted with the posted message
may be extended a benefit as well. In some implementations, the
co-users may be provided a benefit solely based on sharing the
advertising content or message in some manner (e.g., in Google+, by
clicking "+1" on the message, by sharing or re-posting on their
streams, etc.). In other implementations, the co-users may be
provided a benefit in exchange for performing some further action.
For example, if the co-user is presented with an advertising
interface in response to the co-user clicking "+1", the
advertisement may offer a benefit in exchange for the co-user
posting a more detailed message or re-sharing on the co-user's
stream, or in exchange for the co-user sharing one or more aspects
of the co-user's profile on the social network with the
advertiser.
[0030] In some illustrative implementations, the benefit provided
to the user may be based at least in part on the aspects of the
user's social network account to which the advertiser is granted
access. In some implementations, the benefit provided to a user may
depend upon how many friends or contacts the user has on the social
network. For example, a first user having 830 friends on a social
network may be offered a sixty percent discount on a product, and a
second user having 55 contacts on the social network may be offered
a twenty percent discount on the product. In some implementations,
when a benefit is provided in exchange for a user posting a message
on the social network using the user's account, the benefit
provided may depend upon how many co-users interact with the posted
message (e.g., by viewing the posted message, by clicking through a
link associated with the posted message to an advertiser website,
by clicking "+1" or otherwise indicating approval of the message,
by reposting or sharing the message, by purchasing a
product/service associated with the advertisement, etc.). For
example, a first user having 150 co-users indicate approval (e.g.,
via a "+1" button) of a posted advertising message may be provided
with a sixty percent discount on a product, and a second user
having 20 co-users indicate approval of a posted advertising
message may be provided with a twenty percent discount on the
product. In various illustrative implementations, advertisement
system 108 may be configured to provide advertisers with a setup
interface (e.g., via advertiser devices 112) that the advertisers
may be use customize various aspects of the advertisements,
including, in some implementations, conditions associated with the
benefits that are provided to users in exchange for receiving
various levels of access to aspects of the users' accounts on
social networks 106.
Illustrative Social Offer Data Flow
[0031] Referring now to FIG. 2, a data flow diagram 200
illustrating data flow through a system configured to provide
social network-based advertising offers to users is shown according
to an illustrative implementation. In some implementations, various
steps and/or components shown in FIG. 2 may include or be carried
out using components of environment 100 shown in FIG. 1.
[0032] An example advertisement may be originated by an advertiser
(e.g., using an advertiser device 112) using one or more advertiser
front-end interfaces 210. Advertiser front-end interfaces 210 may
include user interfaces that may be provided by advertisement
system 108 to advertisers (e.g., via network 102) and that may be
used by the advertisers to generate advertisements. For example,
the advertiser may specify the type of advertisement or interaction
result (e.g., application download, click-to-call, dynamic or
static ads, etc.), parameters such as benefit conditions and
benefit type, art for the advertisement, landing page,
call-to-action bid (e.g., a bid or monetary amount the advertiser
is willing to pay for each user action associated with the
advertisement), geo-targeting and/or time targeting (e.g.,
particular geographic areas and/or times with which the
advertisement should be associated), etc. In one illustrative
implementation, advertiser front-end interfaces 210 may include a
Google Offers front-end interface and/or a Google AdWords front-end
interface. The created advertisement may be saved in ads database
110.
[0033] The advertisement may be presented to users through one or
more ad serve network back-end systems 215 configured to provide
advertisements to users based on certain predetermined conditions
(e.g., provided by the advertisers) (220). A presented
advertisement may include an offer for a user to receive a benefit
in exchange for providing the advertiser with access to aspects of
the user's account on a social network. For example, in some
implementations, the user may receive a benefit for sharing the
advertisement over a social network by posting a message using the
user's account on the social network. In some implementations, the
user may click a portion of the advertisement to open an expanded
view of a social offer interface that the user can use to share the
message on the social network (225). Once the user has used the
interface to share the advertisement, another interface may be
provided to the user that is configured to provide the user with
access to the benefit (230). In some implementations, a coupon code
or other access tool may be provided to the user in the new
interface. In some implementations, the user may be notified that
information needed to access the benefit, or the benefit itself, is
being provided in another way (e.g., via email, via physical mail,
etc.). In some implementations, the new interface may request
information used to provide the benefit information, such as
physical mailing address or email address.
[0034] Information to which the user has consented to provide the
advertiser access regarding the user's account on the social
network may be collected using a user account information back-end
system 235. The information may be stored in a user data system
240. User data system 240 may be used to generate lists of users to
whom certain advertisements may be targeted. In some
implementations, the lists may include various characteristics of
the users, such as interest information, that may be useful in
determining users to whom certain types of advertisements should be
targeted.
Illustrative Process for Providing Social Offers
[0035] Referring now to FIG. 3, a flow diagram of a process 300 for
providing social network-based advertising offers to users is shown
according to an illustrative implementation. In some illustrative
implementations, process 300 may be carried out using various
components shown in and/or described with respect to FIGS. 1 and/or
2.
[0036] An advertisement system may be configured to transmit an
advertisement including a social offer to a user (305). In various
illustrative implementations, the advertisement may be provided to
the user in response to any number of different user actions, such
as visiting a particular website or web page, viewing a particular
type of media content, searching for a particular word or phrase in
a search engine, and/or any other type of action (e.g., online
action). The social offer included in the advertisement may be an
offer to provide a benefit (e.g., a non-cash benefit, such as a
coupon or discount) to the user in exchange for the consent of the
user to share one or more aspects of the user's profile on a social
network. In some implementations, an interface may be displayed
(e.g., upon the user selecting a portion of the advertisement) that
provides the user with fields for entering social network
information (e.g., account information, message posting
information, confirmation that the user wishes to share the
advertisement, etc.).
[0037] The advertisement system may be configured to wait to
receive an indication of user input provided by the user with
respect to the advertisement (e.g., by clicking or otherwise
selecting a portion of the advertisement) (310). If a user
selection is not received indicating that the user has accepted the
social offer, the advertisement system may continue to wait to
receive such input (e.g., until input is received indicating that
the user has declined the offer, the user has navigated away from
the webpage on which the advertisement was displayed, the displayed
advertisement has changed, for example based on the passage of a
predetermined amount of time, etc.) (315).
[0038] If a user selection is received indicating that the user has
accepted the social offer, an action may be performed on behalf of
the advertiser relating to the user's account on the social network
(320). In various implementations, the action may include
collecting information relating to the user's account (e.g.,
demographic information, interest information, list of contacts on
the social network, etc.) and/or transmitting data that causes
messages or information to be displayed on the social network in
relation to the user's account (e.g., a message relating to the
advertisement, such as a link to a webpage that may be reached by
clicking through the advertisement). In some implementations, the
action may include collecting information about other co-users on
the social network who interact with a posted message and/or taking
further actions with respect to those co-users (e.g., providing a
social offer to the co-users).
[0039] The advertisement system may be configured to transmit data
to provide the user with access to the benefit (325). In some
implementations, at least a portion of the advertisement may be
modified to provide the user with information needed to access the
benefit. For example, a coupon code may be provided or a printable
coupon may be displayed that the user can redeem for a discount on
a product/service. In another example, an interface may be provided
for the user to enter information used to provide the benefit, such
as an email address or mailing address to which a coupon or product
may be sent. In another example (e.g., when the benefit includes
access to an application, media file, website, etc. to which the
user did not previously have access), a link may be provided (e.g.,
in the advertisement or via another method such as email or text
message) that can be used to access certain content (e.g., content
having restricted access). In some implementations, the transmitted
data may provide the user with access to the benefit by notifying
the user that the benefit is being provided in some other manner,
such as to an email address of the user, by text message or another
method to a mobile device of the user, by physical mail to a
mailing address of the user, etc.
Illustrative Social Offer Display Images
[0040] FIGS. 4 through 6 illustrate example advertisement display
images that may be displayed to a user in association with
providing a social network-based advertising offer to the user
according to illustrative implementations. In some implementations,
the display images may be presented using various components and
features shown in and described with respect to FIGS. 1 through 3.
For example, data representing the display images may be
transmitted from advertisement system 108 to a user device 104.
[0041] FIG. 4 illustrates a display image 400 that may be displayed
to a user, for example, upon viewing an offer on Google Offers. In
various illustrative implementations, an image similar to display
image 400 may be displayed when the user performs a variety of
other types of actions, such as visiting a website, performing a
search engine search (e.g., a Google search), viewing or listening
to media content, etc. Display image 400 includes a product frame
410 in which a product to which the advertisement is directed is
displayed. In the illustrated implementation, the product is the
"Acme Car" sold by "Acme Auto." Display image 400 also includes a
social offer frame 405 in which information is provided regarding
an offer from the advertiser to provide a benefit to the user in
exchange for the user granting access to the advertiser to one or
more aspects of the user's account on a social network. In the
illustrated implementation, Acme Auto is offering the user thirty
percent off of official merchandise in exchange for the user
sharing the advertisement by posting a message on Google+ using the
user's Google+ account.
[0042] FIG. 5 shows display image 400 as it may appear when a user
clicks on social offer frame 405 according to an illustrative
implementation. In response to the user clicking on social offer
frame 405, an expanded social offer interface may be provided to
the user. The expanded interface includes a message box 505 in
which the user may enter a personalized message to accompany the
advertisement-related post on the user's Google+ Stream. The
expanded interface also includes a group selection input 510 that
allows the user to select one or more groups of contacts (e.g.,
circles on Google+, such as friends, work colleagues,
acquaintances, family, etc.) with whom the user wishes to share the
advertisement-related post. The expanded interface also includes a
user addition input 515 that allows the user to individually add
other co-users to whom the advertisement-related message should be
directed. In some implementations, the benefit provided to the user
may vary based on the number or proportion of co-users with whom
the user shares the advertisement-related message. For example, in
one implementation, Acme Auto may offer to increase the discount to
forty percent if the user shares the message with all of the user's
circles on Google+ and may offer only a twenty percent discount if
the user only shares the message with one small circle. In another
example, Acme Auto may offer a forty percent discount if the user
shares the message with 500 contacts and only a twenty percent
discount if the user only shares the message with 15 contacts.
Various settings such as these customized discounts may be provided
to the advertisement system by the advertiser when the advertiser
is setting up the advertisement. The user may provide approval to
share the message and consent to the offer by clicking the share
button 520.
[0043] FIG. 6 shows display image 400 as it may appear after the
user clicks share button 520 and approves the offered deal
according to an illustrative implementation. Display image 400 is
modified to display a benefit information frame 605 configured to
convey information regarding the benefit to the user. In the
illustrated implementation, the user is provided with a coupon code
that can be used to redeem the thirty percent discount at Acme
Auto. Benefit information frame 605 also provides the address of
Acme Auto to the user. In some illustrative implementations,
benefit information frame 605 may not directly provide a coupon
code or other offer redemption tool but instead may inform the user
that the benefit is being delivered in some other manner (e.g., via
email, physical mail, etc.). In one example, benefit information
frame 605 may inform the user that Acme Auto has been notified of
the transaction and that the user can visit Acme Auto and redeem
the discount by asking an employee to look up the benefit in the
Acme Auto computing system.
Illustrative Process for Performing an Action Including Posting a
Message on a User's Social Network Account
[0044] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of a process 700 for
performing an action on behalf of an advertiser where the action
includes transmitting data configured to cause a message to be
posted on an account of a user on a social network according to an
illustrative implementation. In some illustrative implementations,
process 700 may be carried out using various components shown in
and/or described with respect to FIGS. 1 and/or 2. In some
illustrative implementations, process 700 may be performed in
conjunction with and/or as a part of one or more features of
process 300 described with respect to FIG. 3. For example, in some
implementations, process 700 may be a part of the action performed
on behalf of the advertiser (see ref. no. 320 of process 300).
[0045] After receiving consent from a user, an advertisement system
may be configured to transmit data to the appropriate social
network responsive to which a message may be posted on the user's
account on the social network (705). In some implementations, the
user may already be authenticated with the social network in a
particular browser session and the message may be identified as
being associated with the user account without the user being
required to enter authentication information again. In some
implementations, the user may be asked to authenticate the user's
identity with the social network before the message-related data
can be sent to the social network.
[0046] In some implementations, the social network may permit other
co-users to interact with the posted message, and the advertisement
system may be configured to receive information relating to the
interaction of the co-users with the message. For example, on
Google+, co-users may indicate approval of the
advertisement-related message by clicking "+1" next to the posted
message. In some implementations, the advertisement system may
receive a list of users who have clicked "+1" in relation to the
message. The interaction data may be stored in a memory (e.g., a
database) and shared with the advertiser (e.g., via a website, via
reports provided to the advertiser, etc.) (715). In some
implementations, the social network and/or advertisement system may
be configured to ask permission of users before providing the
information to the advertiser.
[0047] In some implementations, the advertisement system may be
configured to provide and/or modify a benefit to the original user
and/or other co-users who interacted with the posted message based
on the interaction data (720). In some implementations, the benefit
provided to the original user who posted the original message may
be based upon the interaction data. For example, a discount or
number of rewards points provided to the user may be larger if 150
users clicked "+1" or re-shared the post than if only ten users
clicked "+1" or re-shared the post. In some implementations, the
benefit may be offered to other co-users who indicate approval of
the posted message (e.g., by clicking "+1"). In some
implementations, the benefit may only be offered to co-users who
re-share the offer by posting a separate message under the
co-users' accounts. By providing benefits to other co-users who
interact with previously posted messages, exposure of the
advertisement may cascade through multiple generations of posted
and re-posted messages. In some implementations, information about
each of the co-users that interact with the posted messages and/or
re-share the messages may be collected by the advertisement system
and/or may be shared with the advertiser.
Illustrative Computer System
[0048] FIG. 8 illustrates a depiction of a computer system 800 that
can be used, for example, to implement an illustrative user device
104, an illustrative advertisement system 108, and/or various other
illustrative systems that may be used in the provision of social
network-based advertisements as described in the present
disclosure. The computing system 800 includes a bus 805 or other
communication component for communicating information and a
processor 810 coupled to the bus 805 for processing information.
The computing system 800 also includes main memory 815, such as a
random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled
to the bus 805 for storing information, and instructions to be
executed by the processor 810. Main memory 815 can also be used for
storing position information, temporary variables, or other
intermediate information during execution of instructions by the
processor 810. The computing system 800 may further include a read
only memory (ROM) 810 or other static storage device coupled to the
bus 805 for storing static information and instructions for the
processor 810. A storage device 825, such as a solid state device,
magnetic disk or optical disk, is coupled to the bus 805 for
persistently storing information and instructions.
[0049] The computing system 800 may be coupled via the bus 805 to a
display 835, such as a liquid crystal display, or active matrix
display, for displaying information to a user. An input device 830,
such as a keyboard including alphanumeric and other keys, may be
coupled to the bus 805 for communicating information, and command
selections to the processor 810. In another implementation, the
input device 830 has a touch screen display 835. The input device
830 can include a cursor control, such as a mouse, a trackball, or
cursor direction keys, for communicating direction information and
command selections to the processor 810 and for controlling cursor
movement on the display 835.
[0050] In some implementations, the computing system 800 may
include a communications adapter 840, such as a networking adapter.
Communications adapter 840 may be coupled to bus 805 and may be
configured to enable communications with a computing or
communications network 845 and/or other computing systems. In
various illustrative implementations, any type of networking
configuration may be achieved using communications adapter 840,
such as wired (e.g., via Ethernet), wireless (e.g., via WiFi,
Bluetooth, etc.), pre-configured, ad-hoc, LAN, WAN, etc.
[0051] According to various implementations, the processes that
effectuate illustrative implementations that are described herein
can be achieved by the computing system 800 in response to the
processor 810 executing an arrangement of instructions contained in
main memory 815. Such instructions can be read into main memory 815
from another computer-readable medium, such as the storage device
825. Execution of the arrangement of instructions contained in main
memory 815 causes the computing system 800 to perform the
illustrative processes described herein. One or more processors in
a multi-processing arrangement may also be employed to execute the
instructions contained in main memory 815. In alternative
implementations, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in
combination with software instructions to implement illustrative
implementations. Thus, implementations are not limited to any
specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.
[0052] Although an example processing system has been described in
FIG. 8, implementations of the subject matter and the functional
operations described in this specification can be carried out using
other types of digital electronic circuitry, or in computer
software, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed
in this specification and their structural equivalents, or in
combinations of one or more of them.
[0053] Implementations of the subject matter and the operations
described in this specification can be carried out using digital
electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or
hardware, including the structures disclosed in this specification
and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more
of them. Implementations of the subject matter described in this
specification can be implemented as one or more computer programs,
i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions, encoded
on one or more computer storage medium for execution by, or to
control the operation of, data processing apparatus. Alternatively
or in addition, the program instructions can be encoded on an
artificially-generated propagated signal, e.g., a machine-generated
electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, that is generated
to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver
apparatus for execution by a data processing apparatus. A computer
storage medium can be, or be included in, a computer-readable
storage device, a computer-readable storage substrate, a random or
serial access memory array or device, or a combination of one or
more of them. Moreover, while a computer storage medium is not a
propagated signal, a computer storage medium can be a source or
destination of computer program instructions encoded in an
artificially-generated propagated signal. The computer storage
medium can also be, or be included in, one or more separate
components or media (e.g., multiple CDs, disks, or other storage
devices). Accordingly, the computer storage medium is both tangible
and non-transitory.
[0054] The operations described in this specification can be
implemented as operations performed by a data processing apparatus
on data stored on one or more computer-readable storage devices or
received from other sources.
[0055] The term "data processing apparatus" or "computing device"
encompasses all kinds of apparatus, devices, and machines for
processing data, including by way of example a programmable
processor, a computer, a system on a chip, or multiple ones, or
combinations, of the foregoing. The apparatus can include special
purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate
array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). The
apparatus can also include, in addition to hardware, code that
creates an execution environment for the computer program in
question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a
protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system,
a cross-platform runtime environment, a virtual machine, or a
combination of one or more of them. The apparatus and execution
environment can realize various different computing model
infrastructures, such as web services, distributed computing and
grid computing infrastructures.
[0056] A computer program (also known as a program, software,
software application, script, or code) can be written in any form
of programming language, including compiled or interpreted
languages, declarative or procedural languages, and it can be
deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a
module, component, subroutine, object, or other unit suitable for
use in a computing environment. A computer program may, but need
not, correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored
in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one
or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single
file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple
coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules,
sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be
deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers
that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites
and interconnected by a communication network.
[0057] The processes and logic flows described in this
specification can be performed by one or more programmable
processors executing one or more computer programs to perform
actions by operating on input data and generating output. The
processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus
can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g.,
an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC
(application-specific integrated circuit).
[0058] Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program
include, by way of example, both general and special purpose
microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of
digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions
and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both.
The essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing
actions in accordance with instructions and one or more memory
devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer
will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from
or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for
storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical
disks. However, a computer need not have such devices. Moreover, a
computer can be embedded in another device, e.g., a mobile
telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or
video player, a game console, a Global Positioning System (GPS)
receiver, or a portable storage device (e.g., a universal serial
bus (USB) flash drive), to name just a few. Devices suitable for
storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of
non-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way of
example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and
flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or
removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM
disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or
incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.
[0059] To provide for interaction with a user, implementations of
the subject matter described in this specification can be carried
out using a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode
ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displaying
information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g.,
a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the
computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for
interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to
the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual
feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from
the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech,
or tactile input. In addition, a computer can interact with a user
by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device that
is used by the user; for example, by sending web pages to a web
browser on a user's client device in response to requests received
from the web browser.
[0060] Implementations of the subject matter described in this
specification can be carried out using a computing system that
includes a back-end component, e.g., as a data server, or that
includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or
that includes a front-end component, e.g., a client computer having
a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user
can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described
in this specification, or any combination of one or more such
back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components of
the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital
data communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of
communication networks include a local area network ("LAN") and a
wide area network ("WAN"), an inter-network (e.g., the Internet),
and peer-to-peer networks (e.g., ad hoc peer-to-peer networks).
[0061] The computing system can include clients and servers. A
client and server are generally remote from each other and
typically interact through a communication network. The
relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer
programs running on the respective computers and having a
client-server relationship to each other. In some implementations,
a server transmits data (e.g., an HTML page) to a client device
(e.g., for purposes of displaying data to and receiving user input
from a user interacting with the client device). Data generated at
the client device (e.g., a result of the user interaction) can be
received from the client device at the server.
[0062] In some illustrative implementations, the features disclosed
herein may be implemented on a smart television module (or
connected television module, hybrid television module, etc.), which
may include a processing circuit configured to integrate internet
connectivity with more traditional television programming sources
(e.g., received via cable, satellite, over-the-air, or other
signals). The smart television module may be physically
incorporated into a television set or may include a separate device
such as a set-top box, Blu-ray or other digital media player, game
console, hotel television system, and other companion device. A
smart television module may be configured to allow viewers to
search and find videos, movies, photos and other content on the
web, on a local cable TV channel, on a satellite TV channel, or
stored on a local hard drive. A set-top box (STB) or set-top unit
(STU) may include an information appliance device that may contain
a tuner and connect to a television set and an external source of
signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on
the television screen or other display device. A smart television
module may be configured to provide a home screen or top level
screen including icons for a plurality of different applications,
such as a web browser and a plurality of streaming media services
(e.g., Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, etc.), a connected cable or satellite
media source, other web "channels", etc. The smart television
module may further be configured to provide an electronic
programming guide to the user. A companion application to the smart
television module may be operable on a mobile computing device to
provide additional information about available programs to a user,
to allow the user to control the smart television module, etc. In
alternate embodiments, the features may be implemented on a laptop
computer or other personal computer, a smartphone, other mobile
phone, handheld computer, a tablet PC, or other computing
device.
[0063] While this specification contains many specific
implementation details, these should not be construed as
limitations on the scope of any inventions or of what may be
claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to
particular implementations of particular inventions. Certain
features that are described in this specification in the context of
separate implementations can also be carried out in combination in
a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are
described in the context of a single implementation can also be
carried out in multiple implementations separately or in any
suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be
described above as acting in certain combinations and even
initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed
combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and
the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or
variation of a subcombination. Additionally, features described
with respect to particular headings may be utilized with respect to
and/or in combination with illustrative implementations described
under other headings; headings, where provided, are included solely
for the purposes of readability and should not be construed as
limiting any features provided with respect to such headings.
[0064] Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in
a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that
such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in
sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed,
to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances,
multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover,
the separation of various system components in the implementations
described above should not be understood as requiring such
separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that
the described program components and systems can generally be
integrated together in a single software product or packaged into
multiple software products.
[0065] Thus, particular implementations of the subject matter have
been described. Other implementations are within the scope of the
following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims
can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable
results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying
figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or
sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In certain
implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be
advantageous.
* * * * *